Aerator with variable proportioning



E. P. AGHNIDES FIG. 5.

AERATOR WITH VARIABLE PROPORTIONING Dec. 24, 1968 FIG. lei/1 FIG- C- Y/ Ill;

FIG. I.

s m n T N m m w v n N S 9 I m A 4 m O. a %m A D. 2 A e M H u m E 7 8 4 y 4 4 r w w m m L. F F .m 74 b 6 1 6 N v m w I I 4 Y r u I 0 I w 1 M 0/, u w 02 n w O United States Patent 3,417,924 AERATOR WITH VARIABLE PROPORTIONING Elie P. Aghnides, 795 5th Ave, New York, N.Y. 10021 Filed Feb. 15, 1967, Ser. No. 616,286 8 Claims. (or. 239-4235 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The disclosure relates to water aerators of the type in which air is intimately admixed with the water to provide a highly aerated, bubbly jet of water issuing from the aerator. According to the disclosure, a low-cost, convenient-to-use aerator is provided comprising an element which effects ideal proportioning between the velocity of the jet streams within the aerator and the resistance of the mixing screen to produce optimum water aeration, whereas removal of said element increases the rate of flow, causing an impairment of the aforesaid proportioning but substantially reducing the back pressure created by the aerator to minimize its interference with operation of gas-fired heaters.

Background of the invention It has been pointed out in my prior patents that optimum water aeration, resulting in the issuance of a bubbly, whitish, air-laden stream of water from the aerator, is dependent upon proper proportioning between the velocity of the jet streamlets issuing from the diaphragm and the amount of resistance offered by the mixing screens. It has been found that in order to provide the optimum amount of aeration, it is necessary to provide a quite high velocity of the jet streamlets, and this requires the use of a diaphragm or other jet-forming means which offers a substantial amount of resistance to water flow, thereby creating a significant amount of back pressure. The amount of back pressure which is produced can at times be objectionable since it may result in leakage of water from the aerator and/ or past the packing used in the faucet construction when water pressure is high, and may also be objectionable when the aerator is used within an enclosed space in which there is located.

a gas heater. Thus, it has been found, surprisingly, that the amount of back pressure created when an aerator is in use may, in many instances, result in a failure of the gas heater to ignite. In an attempt to overcome these drawbacks, manufacturers of water aerators have in many instances been required to alter the design of the aerator so that less resistance is offered by providing more, or bigger, orifices in the jet-forming means, with a resultant reduction in the velocity of the jet streamlets, thereby reducing substantially the amount of back pressure and reducing also the unfavorable effect upon gas heater ignition. Of course, an aerator designed in this manner cannot produce a highly aerated stream of water and thus many of the benefits ordinarily derived from the use of an aerator are lost.

Manufacturers of water aerators have found it impractical to market different types of aerators, with one type being designed for use where a gas heater is employed, and the other being designed for use under normal conditions where there is no gas heater and a high degree of water aeration is desired. At the same time, the present practice employed by many water aerator manufacturers of marketing aerators which are all purposely designed to provide low back pressure with correspondingly poor aeration, is far from desirable since this means that all consumers are deprived of the benefit of good aeration, even those who do not employ gas heaters and thus are not faced with the problem de- 3,417,924 Patented Dec. 24, 1968 scribed above. The said poor aerators created a back pressure of only ten pounds where earlier well-proportioned aerators created a back pressure of thirty pounds. The present invention concerned with avoiding the problem mentioned herein. This is accomplished by providing an aerator having a removable, reversible, or otherwise changeable element, accessible only upon removal of the aerator from the faucet and capable of selectively blocking, wholly or partially, some of the through passages of the jet-forming means, or capable of accelerating the velocity of some or all of the streams issuing therefrom. The aerator is so designed that it provides substantially optimum proportioning between jet streamlet velocity and screen resistance according to one assembly of the aforementioned element in the water aerator, with a resultant high degree of aeration, and, on the other hand, significantly lower jet velocity and back pressure so as to remove interference with gas heater ignition with another, different assembly of the aforesaid element in the aerator.

It is recognized that the interference with heater ignition is related to the amount of back pressure produced by the aerator and is thus dependent upon both the water pressure available at the faucet and the size and number of the orifices in the jet-forming means. In view of these various factors, it can be seen that the way to minimize or even eliminate heater ignition interference and also leakage past the faucet'packing is to construct the aerator so as to permit, when necessary, a reduction in the resistance to water flow presented by the jet-forming means. This is accomplished by increasing the effective number and/or effective cross-sectional area of the multiplicity of through passages in the jet-forming means. In the specific embodiments disclosed herein, an imperforate disc or the like is used which, optionally, blocks or restricts some of the orifices of the jet-forming means to produce a high jet velocity, high back pressure, and a high degree of aeration and, alternatively, low jet velocity, low back pressure, and a lowered degree of aeration. In the first instance, proper design of the aerator ensures that there is still a full flow of water through the aerator even with a partial obturation of the jet-forming means. In the second instance, it should be noted, there is no impairment of water flow from the aerator; in fact, there is an increased rate of water flow because of the lesser amount of restriction provided by the jet-forming means.

An aerator of the type disclosed herein should be clearly distinguished from the type of aerator disclosed in my prior Patent No. 2,811,340. The aerators of that patent are constructed to be adjustable in order to provide a high degree of aeration whether the available water pressure is high or low. This objective is met by maintaining insofar as possible, substantially the same jet velocity and thus also substantially the same back pressure despite variations in water pressure. This is accomplished by varying the resistance of the jet-forming means so that it is high when the water pressure is low and vice versa. It is thus an objective of such prior art adjustable aerators to maintain the most desirable proportioning between jet velocity and screen resistance even though there may be variations in water pressure and thus a high degree of aeration. In contrast, the water aerators of the present invention are constructed to provide the most desirable proportioning only when the flow through the jet-forming means is restricted, and to produce a less desirable proportioning with lower jet velocity and less back pressure when the restriction is removed.

With respect to rate of flow of water from the aerator, this is at a maximum with the aerators of Patent No. 2,811,340 when the jet-forming means is unobstructed but decreases significantly when the jet-forming means is partially blocked. In other words, the aerators of my Patent No. 2,811,340 are designed to effect a high degree of aeration at normal or average domestic water pressures, like the aerators of the original Patent No. 2,210,- 846. However, while at low domestic water pressures the aerators of Patent No. 2,210,846 effect little aeration or none, the aerators of Patent No. 2,811,340 permit restriction of flow to accelerate jet velocity and thereby effect good aeration. The aerators of the present invention, in one assembly (with the said element on) effect a high degree of aeration under normal or average domestic water pressures but, contrary to aerators of Patent No. 2,811,340, very little or none at low water pressures, in another assembly (with the said element removed) a poor aeration even under normal or average domestic water pressures. While the aerators of Patent No. 2,811,340 are intended to increase the back pressure when the water pressure is low, to permit good aeration, the aerators of the present invention are intended to decrease the back pressure, irrespective of the degree of water pressure, if the existence of gas heaters on the line requires the housewife to do so.

Brief description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional elevational view of an aerator comprising one embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 1A comprises a view of a removable element shown in the cross-sectional view of FIGURE 1;

FIGURES lB-lD comprise cross-sectional views of alternative forms of inserts intended for use in the aerator of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 1E comprises a top view of the element shown in cross-sectional view in FIGURE 1B;

FIGURE 1F is a top view of the element shown in cross-section in FIGURE 1D;

FIGURE 1G is a cross-sectional view of a modified form of insert of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a partial cross-sectional elevational view of an aerator comprising an alternative embodiment of this invention;

FIGURE 3 is a modified form of insert for use in the aerator of FIGURE 2,-

FIGURE 4 is a further modified form of an insert for use in the aerator of FIGURE 2;

FIGURES 4A and 4B comprise alternative embodiments of the structure shown in FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view of a further embodiment of the invention.

Description of the preferred embodiment FIGURE 1 discloses a casing 1 which may be formed of either metal or plastic, being internally threaded as its interior upper end to enable the casing to be threadably secured to a faucet or the fiWednfllQythedischarge end of the casing is an annular shell 3 having an outwardly extending lip 3a at its upper end which rests upon a corresponding ledge 1a formed in the interior of the casing 1. The space between the exterior wall of the shell 3 and the opposed interior wall of easing 1 defines an air inlet for the admission of air from the discharge end of the aerator into the mixing space between a jetforming diaphragm 2 and mixing screens 9 and 10. The diaphragm 2 may be of the type shown in my U.S. Patent No. 2,998,929 issued Sept. 5, 1961, and is so constructed as to provide a plurality of tortuous paths 0,, O 0 etc., between the faucet end of the aerator and the mixing space. Below the diaphragm and within the shell 3 are a plurality of mixing screens 9 and 10. Mixing screen 10 is supported upon an inwardly turned annular ledge 3b at the bottom of shell 3, and screen 9 is of inverted cupshaped form and rests upon the lower screen 10.

Water entering the aerator under pressure from the faucet is forced through the plurality of passages 0 O 0 etc., into the mixing space between the diaphragm and the mixing screens, and air is admitted from the atmosphere and through the aforementioned air passageway into the mixing space, passing through the plurality of apertures 15 which are formed in the side wall of the shell 3. In the mixing space, the air is intimately admixed with the water, with the mixing taking place particularly as the air and water are forced through the mixing screens.

A legged disc 4 is shown in FIGURE 1 as being positioned atop the diaphragm 2. This disc is better shown in FIGURE 1A which illustrates that the disc is formed of a generally circular portion having projecting legs 5 located at intervals about its periphery. The diameter of the circular portion 4 is such that when the member 4 is placed on top of the diaphragm in the manner shown in FIGURE 1, water can still flow through the passages 0 O and 0 as before, but cannot flow through the passages 0 0 or 0 It will thus be seen that in accordance with the diameter of the central portion of disc 4, a selected number of the passages in the diaphragm are completely blocked and others are partially blocked, whereas still others are entirely unobstructed. The function of the legs 5 is to center the disc 4 relative to diaphragm 2.

Preferably the aerator of FIGURE 1 is so designed that a proper proportioning between the velocity of the jet streamlets issuing from the diaphragm as compared to the resistance of the mixing screens is obtained with the member 4 in place. However, the purchaser is instructed that, in the event the aerator is to be used in an environment where a gas heater is employed or where, for any reason, the back pressure is to be kept at a minimum, the disc 4 is merely removed from the aerator and may be disposed of prior to the affixing of the aerator to the water faucet. Obviously, when the disc 4 is removed, all of the passages of the diaphragm are unobstructed so that the back pressure is substantially reduced and the velocity of the jet streamlets in the mixing space is reduced so that there is no interference with the ignition of a gas-fired heater.

FIGURES 1B-1G show alternative rings or discs that may be used optionally with the aerator of FIGURE 1. Thus, if the double annular ring 6 of FIGURE 1B, IE is employed, it will be apparent that there will be a blockage of the exterior ring of through passages of the diaphragm 2 such as, for example, the passage 0 by the exterior ring portion 6a and that rings of passages 0 and 0 will be blocked by the center annular portion 6b, whereas passages 0 0 or 0 remain unobstructed.

FIGURE 1C illustrates an alternative ring 7 for use in place of the member 4 of FIGURE 1. Ring 7 of FIG- URE 1C is of smaller diameter than the ring 6 of FIG- URE 1B and is intended to lit with a relatively close fit in the annular groove 7a formed between an adjacent pair of the annular protrusions formed in the upper surface of diaphragm 2. It can be seen that the effect of having the annular ring 7 in place within the aforementioned groove only partially blocks but two of the jetforming passageways through diaphragm 2 with the result that the same number of streams are produced at the outlet end of diaphragm 2 whether the member 7 is in place or not, the difference being that with member 7 in place, the inlet ends of certain of the passages are restricted so as to increase the back pressure and thereby increase the velocity of some of the issuing jet streamlets.

FIGURES 1D and IF illustrate an alternative insert for use in the aerator of FIGURE 1. According to FIG- URE 1F, this insert comprises an annular ring-shaped member 8 having a plurality of exteriorly extending projections 8a to ensure that the member is properly centered within the annular recess provided therefor. It can be seen that with the member 8 in place within the aerator of FIGURE 1, the outer passages 0 and O and also passages 0 are entirely blocked, whereas passages 0 O and 0 are entirely unobstructed. Inserts may be located in the aerator in friction-fit manner to avoid their loss.

It can thus be seen from a consideration of FIGURE 1 and also FIGURES 1B-1E, that various forms of inserts may be provided for the aerator of FIGURE 1. The manufacturer will equip the aerators with the one or the other insert according to the restriction of flow required for an efiective aeration, the choice of inserts depending upon the number and/or size of holes in each row of the diaphragm. While my invention permits designing satisfactory inserts for use on existing low backpressure aerators, on new aerators it is best to proportion diaphragm, insert and screens with each other for coupling high degree of aeration and smoothness of the stream inasmuch as a poorly aerated stream, such as the one resulting from the removal of the insert, does not require as precise a proportioning as a highly aerated one.

The water aerator of FIGURE 2 is similar to that of FIGURE 1 with the exception that the diaphragm in FIGURE 2 comprises two fiat, perforated discs 21 and 22, the lower of the discs 21 resting upon the annular top of shell 25. Shell has an annular rim 25a which is supported by ledge 25b formed on the interior wall of casing 20. The upper of the two discs 22 is provided with an encircling gasket 23 which provides a water-tight seal around the edges of the two juxtaposed members 21 and 22 when the aerator is threaded onto a faucet so that the faucet lip exerts downward pressure upon gasket 23. The ring-shaped gasket 23 has a significantly larger inner diameter on its bottom portion than on its top portion. As a result of this, when the assemblage comprising disc 22 and ring gasket 23 is inserted in the aerator in the manner shown in FIGURE 2, all of the apertures in the lower disc 24 are unobstructed. On the other hand, if this assemblage is turned upside down from the position shown in FIGURE 2, it will be apparent that the smaller inner diameter of the upper portion of ring gasket 23 will entirely block the outer ring of apertures 24 in the lower member 21, thereby increasing the resistance to water flow ofiered by the jet-forming means comprising members 21 and 22 and resulting in an increased velocity of the jet streamlets. In other words, the jetforming means may be used in the manner shown in FIGURE 2 when it is desired to have less than optimum proportioning, with low back pressure, and thus low negative pressure of the atmosphere resulting when the aerator is in use. To obtain a more desirable proportioning in order to increase the velocity of the jet streamlets and thus enhance the amount of aeration of the water stream, the assemblage of parts comprising discs 21 and 22 with the encircling gasket 23 is turned upside down.

FIGURE 3 illustrates still another embodiment of the invention in which the jetforming means comprises a lower apertured disc 29 and an upper apertured circular member 26 whose periphery 26a may be of substantially rectangular cross section as shown, to provide a sealing gasket preventing the flow of water under pressure into the space between the two discs other than through the apertures in the upper member 26. With the parts in the relative position shown in FIGURE 3, the annular protrusion 27 extending downwardly from member 26 entirely blocks one of the rings of holes 28 in the lower member 29; whereas it is obvious that if the upper member 26 is turned upside down from its position shown, the ring of holes 28 in lower member 29 will be entirely unobstructed.

In FIGURE 4 is shown an insert for an aerator casing as in FIGURE 2, and with the insert comprising a dished member having a central planar, perforated portion 34. The upstanding annular rim 34a is provided with a ledge 34b which supports a flat perforate disc 33, and the members 33 and 34 thus provide a jet-forming means. Mounted on the top of the upper member 34 is an op tional member comprising an imperforate fiat central disc 35 with a plurality of outwardly extending legs 36 which interconnect the central disc portion to an exterior 75 annular gasket portion 37 of rectangular cross-section. The gasket portion 37 rests upon an annular gasket 31 to efifect a water-tight seal. Here, again, the design of the aerator may be such that, with the optional member in place so as to block a portion of the apertures in disc 33, a desirable proportioning between velocity of the jet streamlets and screen resistance is obtained with resulting good water aeration. When element 35 is removed, the back pressure is significantly lowered.

It has been found in actual practice that with an aerator constructed according to FIGURE 4, the back pressure with the element 35 in place amounted to about 2.0 kilograms, but when the element 35 was removed, the back pressure dropped to about 0.7 kilogram.

In FIGURE 4A there is illustrated a modification of the embodiment shown in FIGURE 4. Thus, instead of providing a separate upper optional element 35, as in FIGURE 4, together with an annular washer 31, I have disclosed in FIGURE 4A a unitary member 45 which comprises a central fiat disc portion 46, a plurality of radially extending legs 47, and an integral annular washer portion 48. With this integral element in the position shown in FIGURE 4A, the central fiat disc-like portion 46 obstructs a number of the apertures in the upper perforated disc 49 comprising a part of the jet-forming means. If the integral element 45 is turned upside down from the position shown in FIGURE 4A, it is obvious that none of the holes of the upper jet-forming member 49 will be obstructed since water will be able to flow freely through the spaces between the spaced legs and pass through all of the apertures in the upper jet-forming element 49. Washer 48 may be in plastics and friction-fit.

In FIGURE 4B, I have illustrated an integral member 50 which again comprises a central, flat, imperforate disc portion 51, a plurality of outwardly extending legs 52 and a peripheral, annular washer portion 53. This element 50 rests upon an annular washer 54 which efiects a sealing engagement between member 50 and the upper disc 55 of the jet-forming means. When member 50 is in the position shown in FIGURE 4B, a substantial number of the orifices in the upper jet-forming element 55 are obstructed, but none of these orifices is obstructed if the element 50 is turned upside down. Gaskets 31 and 54 may be press-fit metal rings.

In the embodiment of FIGURE 5, the back pressure controlling element comprises a member having a circular planar portion 61 and a transverse axial member 62 which may be threaded into diaphragm 63. When member 60 is in the position shown, a number of the orifices in the diaphragm are blocked, but if member 60 is raised by screwing it partially upward, out of the diaphragm, then the orifices will be unobstructed.

The screens may have a perforation below said member 62 and the latter may be extended to pass through said perforations so as to permit its screwing upwards or downwards from the downstream end of the aerator. In such case, the downstream end of the casing 1 may be longer to conceal the protruding downstream end of member 62. The inserts may be marked as shown in FIG- URE 1A.

What I claim is:

1. A water aerator of the type comprising an annular casing adapted for securing to the discharge end of a water faucet, a jet-forming means having a plurality of orifices for producing a plurality of streamlets, downstream mixing means, and means defining an air inlet passage from the atmosphere to a mixing space between the jet-forming means of the mixing means, the improvement which comprises, a means adapted for bi-state assembly in said aerator and comprising an element which in accordance with one state of assembly of the component parts of said aerator is positioned above and at least partially obturates some of the through passages of said jet-forming means, and in accordance with the second state of assembly permits unobstructed flow through the orifices of said jet-forming means, said jet-forming means with said element in accordance with said one assembly providing a velocity of the jet streamlets issuing from said jet-forming means which is so proportioned relative to the resistance presented by said mixing means as to provide a high degree of water aeration and high back water pressure, said jet-forming means with said element in accordance with said second assembly providing a substantially lower velocity of said jet streamlets which is so proportioned relative to said mixing means resistance as to provide a substantially lower water pressure and a lower degree of water aeration.

2. The water aerator of claim 1 in which said element comprises an imperforate disc adapted to be superimposed on said jet-forming means and having an imperforate central portion and a plurality of radially extending legs to center said element relative to said jet-forming means.

3. The water aerator of claim 1 in which said jet-forming means comprises an upper surface having a plurality of annular, spaced, upstanding protuberances, and said element comprises a ring-shaped member fittingwith a sealing engagement in the groove between a successive pair of said annular protuberances.

4. The water aerator of claim 1 in which said element comprises a disc and an axially extending integral shaft adapted for frictiona'l engagement with an aperture in said jet-forming means.

5. The water aerator of claim 1 in which said element comprises a central imperforate portion adapted to closely overlay and partially obturate the through passages of said jet-forming means when said element is placed with a first side thereof facing upstream, said element being provided with spacer means for spacing said central imperforate portion from the orifices in said jet-forming means when said element is placed upon said jet-forming means with the opposite side thereof facing upstream.

6. The water aerator of claim 5 in which said element further includes an annular gasket portion and integral means connecting said gasket portion with said central imperforate portion.

7. The aerator of claim 1 in which said jet-forming means comprises at least two spaced perforate discs, one of said discs having an axially extending protuberance adapted to block some of the apertures in the other of said discs when said one disc has a first side thereof facing upstream, said protuberance facing in the opposite direction axially when said one disc has its first side thereof facing downstream so as to leave said apertures in the other disc unobstructed.

8. The aerator of claim 1 in which said jet-forming means comprises a pair of axially spaced discs and said element comprises an annular gasket of generally V- shaped cross-section fitting over the edge of one of said discs, said gasket having one of its legs of its V-shaped cross-section extending substantially further inwardly than the other of said legs, said one disc with one side thereof facing upstream obturating some of the apertures in the other disc but leaving said apertures unobstructed when said other side faces upstream.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,110,453 9/1914 Monosmith 239-4285 2,210,846 8/1940 Aghnides 239-4285 2,510,395 6/1950 Goodrie 239-4285 2,603,469 7/1952 Bedford et al 239-4285 2,811,340 10/1957 Aghnides 239-4285 2,950,063 8/1960 Ripley 239-4285 2,998,929 9/1961 Aghnides 239-4285 EVERETT W. KIRBY, Primary Examiner.

2 g? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,411,92M Dated December 2M, 1968 Inventor(s) Elie P. Aghnides It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

r- Delete claims 1 through 8, inclusive, and replace by the 1 following single claim:

A water aerator of the type comprising an annular casing adapted for securing to the discharge end of a water faucet, a Jet-forming means having a plurality of orifices for producing a plurality of streamlets, downstream mixing means, and means defining an air inlet passage from the atmosphere to a mixing space between the Jet-forming means of the mixing means the improvement which comprises, a means adapted for bi-state assembly in said aerator and comprising an element which in acco ance with one state of assembly of the component parts of said aerator is positioned above and at least partially obturates som of the through passages of said Jet-forming means, and in accord ance with the second state of assembly permits unobstructed flow through the orifices of said Jet-forming means, said jet-forming means with said element in accordance with said one assembly providing a velocity of the Jet streamlets issuing from said Jet forming means which is so proportioned relative to the resistanci presented by said mixing means as to provide a high degree of wa1 aeration and high back water pressure, said Jet-forming means wi said element in accordance with said second assembly providing a substantially lower velocity of said jet streamlets which is so proportioned relative to said mixing means resistance as to provi a substantially lower water pressure and a lower degree of water aeration, said Jet-forming means comprising a pair of axially spaced discs and said element comprising an annular gasket of generally U-shaped cross-section fitting over the edge of one of said discs, said gasket having one of its legs of its U-shaped cross-section extending substantially further inwardly than the s of said legs, said one disc with one side thereof facing upstream obturating some of the apertures in the other disc but leaving s2 apertures unobstructed when said other side faces upstream.

In the heading to the printed specification, line 6, "8 Claims" should read 1 Claim SIGNED AND SEALED EDT 2 1 m9 .(SEAL) Attest:

EdwnnllLlfldshmaln WILLIAM E. sdHuYLER,

Atteating Officer Comissioner of Pate! 

